This invention relates to a display orientation adjustment apparatus for pivotably supporting a display of a computer or a television receiver in a manner that permits the display to rotate on (or pivot about) an axis substantially perpendicular to a screen thereof such that pivotal motion of the display takes place in a plane containing the screen.
Historically, computer or television displays (also called “monitors”) have been viewed only in landscape (horizontal) orientation, and thus landscape displays are now in common use. However, in some particular uses, portrait (vertical) orientation may be preferable. For example, in cases where a user uses a computer as a word-processor to edit or view A4 or letter-size documents, portrait viewing orientation fit to the orientation of the documents would serve to save its screen area and to facilitate editing or other word-processing operations.
Against this backdrop, proposed for example in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3063920 is a display orientation adjustment apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “orientation adjustment apparatus”) for pivotably supporting a display in a manner that permits the display to be rotated 90 degrees on an axis substantially perpendicular to a screen thereof.
Among various forms of mechanisms for the orientation adjustment apparatus known in the art, for example, is one like the orientation adjustment apparatus H shown in FIG. 12B in which a movable part 110 shaped like a spherical segment is slidably held by or supported with a base 120 on a spherical surface thereof.
The orientation adjustment apparatus H principally includes, as shown in FIG. 13, a movable part 110 mounted on the back of the display D (see FIG. 12B), a base 120 fixed on an upper portion of a front face of a stand M, and a support cap 130 disposed inside the movable part 110.
The movable part 110 includes a mounting plate 110A attached to the back of the display D, and a flange 110B fixed on the mounting plate 110A. The mounting plate 110A includes four pivotal motion restricting portions 112 each protruding toward the flange 110B. The flange 110B includes a spherical zone portion 113, and a flat portion 114 formed along an outer brim of the spherical zone portion 113. The spherical zone portion 113 includes a surface 113a (hereinafter referred to as “base-side sliding surface 113a”) facing toward the base 120, and a surface 113b (hereinafter referred to as “display-side sliding surface 113b”) facing toward the display D, each taking the shape of a spherical zone.
The base 120 includes a base body 120A fixed on the stand M, and a spacer is 120B that is shaped like a spherical zone and attached to a front opening of the base body 120A. The spacer 120B of the base 120 includes a receiving surface 125 shaped like a spherical zone, and is to be brought into contact with the base-side sliding surface 113a (see FIG. 16) of the flange 110B.
The support cap 130 disposed inside the movable part 110 and the spacer 120B of the base 120 sandwich the spherical zone portion 113 of the flange 110B, thereby slidably supporting the movable part 110 on the base 120.
The support cap 130 includes a dome portion 131 having the shape of a dome, a pair of wall portions 132 formed inside the dome portion 131 so as to extend toward the display D, and a projection 133 provided at the center of a surface 131a (hereinafter referred to as “pressing surface 131a”; see FIG. 16) of the dome portion 131 facing toward the base 120. The pressing surface 131a is brought into contact with the display-side sliding surface 113b of the flange 110B.
FIG. 14 is a side view in cross section of the orientation adjustment apparatus H. As shown in FIG. 14, the support cap 130 is attached to the base 120 by inserting the projection 133 into an insertion hole 121a of the base body 120A. A bolt 141 is inserted through a hole provided in the projection 133 from a display D side (from inside of the dome portion 131), and a spring (resilient member) 143 in a compressed state is coiled around a shank 141a of the bolt 141 partially protruded through the hole of the projection 133 toward the base body 120A. The spring 143 is compressed with a nut 142 screwed at the tip of the bolt 141, and the resiliency of the compressed spring 143 presses the bolt 141 toward the base 120. The bolt 141 in turn presses the support cap 130 toward the base 120, and eventually presses the movable part 110 toward the base 120. Consequently, the movable part 110 is slidably sandwiched between the support cap 130 and the base 120, so that the display D can be rotated (or pivoted) about an axis substantially perpendicular to a screen thereof as shown in FIG. 12A, rotated (or tilted) about a horizontal axis as shown in FIG. 12B, and rotated (or swiveled) about a vertical axis as shown in FIG. 12C.
The range of pivotal motion of the movable part 110 (i.e., display D) is restricted by the wall portions 132. To be more specific, as shown in FIGS. 15A to 15F, the movable part 110 can be pivoted without restriction until the pivotal motion restricting portions 112 formed on the mounting plate 110A are brought into contact with the wall portions 132 of the support cap 130, but once the pivotal motion restricting portions 112 are brought into contact with the wall portions 132, no farther pivotal motion of the movable part 110 becomes impossible. In other words, in the illustrated orientation adjustment apparatus H, the wall portions 132 formed on the support cap 130 serve as a stopper to restrict the pivotable range of the movable part 110.
If pivotal motion were imparted to the support cap 130 together with the movable part 110 pivoted by a user, the wall portions 132 provided on the support cap 130 could not serve as a stopper to stop the movable part 110; therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the cross section of the columnar projection 133 of the support cap 130 and the insertion hole 121a of the base body 120A are given a substantially elliptic (noncircular) shape so as to impede the pivotal motion of the support cap 130.
However, normal use situations aside, in cases where the display D is inadvertently pivoted beyond the pivotable range, all the pivoting force concentrate on the projection 133 of the support cap 130, which could disadvantageously cause a proximal portion of the projection 133 to rupture as the case may be. In this case, the display D cannot be held in an intended position, and the support cap 130, as is incorporated inside the movable part 110, cannot be replaced with ease.
The disadvantageous situation as described above involves a common problem that could be encountered not only in the illustrated orientation adjustment apparatus but also in any other orientation adjustment apparatuses capable of pivoting a display in a plane containing a screen thereof.
The present invention has been made to address the above problem.